U.S. grant backs Indonesia ethanol production study

U.S. grant backs Indonesia ethanol production study    The U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a $320,924 grant to PT Medco Downstream Indonesia on Wednesday to fund a feasibility study for a sweet sorghum-based ethanol production facility in Papua Province.
   The USTDA said the proposed facility would provide an energy source to meet Indonesia's increasing transportation fuel demand and improve infrastructure related to the industry, such as roads, irrigation systems, power generation and public facilities.
   'Because studies have shown that sorghum is environmentally sustainable, USTDA is supporting development of an ethanol production facility that uses sorghum as its feedstock,' said USTDA Acting Director Leocadia I. Zak, in a statement.
   The USTDA grant to Medco will be competed on through the Federal Business Opportunities Web-site. A link to the FBO announcement will be posted on the USTDA's Web site. Medco and NEAtech will contribute additional resources to the completion of the project, USTDA said.